09:55 pm - answers with substance? lemme get back to you on that one, katesI never thought I'd see the day when Katie Couric of all people schools a big-name politician and granted, schooling Sarah Palin might not exactly be the hardest thing to do, but my god this is one hell of a trainwreck. Watch Palin's blank stare near the beginning as she tries to form words. Or watch her dancing nimbly around the issues and trying to dig at Obama and then using the classic "Oh I don't believe in the polls" defense when called on it. Palin often sounds like she's giving answers in an entirely different interview. Or maybe she's the substitute on the debate team who suddenly gets pressed into action without actually doing the research beforehand. Whatever it is, this just amazes me. This is a grown adult who is seeking to hold the second-highest office in this country. I've heard 8th grade student council candidates more informed than this, and they promised a soda machine in the cafeteria to boot. The highlight from the transcript comes near the end in this two-act cavalcade of hilarity:

[ACT 1]

Couric: Would you support a moratorium on foreclosures to help average Americans keep their homes?

Palin: That's something that John McCain and I have both been discussing - whether that ... is part of the solution or not. You know, it's going to be a multi-faceted solution that has to be found here.

Couric: So you haven't decided whether you'll support it or not?

Palin: I have not.

Couric: What are the pros and cons of it do you think?

Palin: Oh, well, some decisions that have been made poorly should not be rewarded, of course.

Couric: By consumers, you're saying?

Palin: Consumers - and those who were predator lenders also. That's, you know, that has to be considered also. But again, it's got to be a comprehensive, long-term solution found ... for this problem that America is facing today. As I say, we are getting into crisis mode here.

[ACT 2]

Couric: You've said, quote, "John McCain will reform the way Wall Street does business." Other than supporting stricter regulations of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac two years ago, can you give us any more example of his leading the charge for more oversight?

Palin: I think that the example that you just cited, with his warnings two years ago about Fannie and Freddie - that, that's paramount. That's more than a heck of a lot of other senators and representatives did for us.

Couric: But he's been in Congress for 26 years. He's been chairman of the powerful Commerce Committee. And he has almost always sided with less regulation, not more.

Palin: He's also known as the maverick though, taking shots from his own party, and certainly taking shots from the other party. Trying to get people to understand what he's been talking about - the need to reform government.

Couric: But can you give me any other concrete examples? Because I know you've said Barack Obama is a lot of talk and no action. Can you give me any other examples in his 26 years of John McCain truly taking a stand on this?

Palin: I can give you examples of things that John McCain has done, that has shown his foresight, his pragmatism, and his leadership abilities. And that is what America needs today.

Couric: I'm just going to ask you one more time - not to belabor the point. Specific examples in his 26 years of pushing for more regulation.

Palin: I'll try to find you some and I'll bring them to you.

Yeah, you go get right on that, chief.

Someone on Metafilter coined the phrase, or claimed their friend has coined the phrase "Fail Mary" when it comes to the events of the McCain campaign for the past twenty-four hours. When David Letterman stops his show to go and make fun of you in a nearby studio, you know there's been some serious failure. Holy cow. I don't particularly like making political posts but somehow we seem to have transcended politics and plunged headlong into the theater of the absurd, and there ain't no comin back from that.

Comments:

If McCain/Palin win (and at this point it wouldn't be a sucker bet to put money on that), any subsequent election might as well be one of those ones we used to laugh about in bad cyberpunk novels. Swartznegger/Eastwood. Stewart/Colbert. Dog/Cat. I mean really, what does it matter?

And the saddest thing is, the Arnold/Clint ticket would still likely be more qualified than what's up there now.

I don't know about you guys but all my money is on the Tigh/Roslin ticket. The time Tigh spent in a Cylon base camp made him even more patriotic and Roslin's decision to outlaw abortion will definitely resonate well with the base.

"I'm Saul Tigh and you better frakking believe I approved this message!"

I saw a line in one of the (many) election-related sidebars in the New Yorker that stated that McCain probably sorely regrets not picking Romney-the-businessman right about now, what with the impending economic Armageddon.

Of course, Romney would have been bad for completely different reasons.

All I know is that I went into the comic book store yesterday, and all three employees there were huddled around the computer reading updates about McCain's debate cancellation and Obama's response out loud to each other.

I think we're watching McCain's campaign fall into a death spiral. I'm not certain enough of it yet to make a prediction, but based on a bunch of things I'm seeing, my gut tells me he's toast barring a "terrorist attack" or something similar in the next few weeks.